Adjustments

Pull the parking brake lever with a force of approximately 44 lbs. (196 N).

There should be 5-7 clicks on vehicles equipped with rear drum brakes or 3-5 clicks on vehicles with rear disk brakes.

If the parking brake lever stroke is not the standard value, adjust as described below.

Remove the floor console cup tray or arm rest assembly, loosen the adjusting nut as far as the end of the cable rod to release the cable.

For vehicles with drum brake, start the engine. Depress the brake pedal repeatedly until the stroke no longer changes.

NOTE

Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly will automatically adjust the shoe clearance to the normal setting.

For vehicles with drum-in-disc brake, remove the adjustment hole plug and use a flat-tip screwdriver to turn the adjuster in the direction of the arrow (the direction which expands the shoe) so that the disc will not rotate. Return the adjuster five notches in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow.

WARNING

If the parking brake lever stroke is below the standard value and the braking is too firm, the rear brakes may drag.

Turn the adjusting nut to adjust the parking brake lever stroke to the standard value. After adjusting, check that there is no space between the adjusting nut and the parking brake lever.

After adjusting the parking brake lever stroke, jack up the rear of the vehicle. Release the parking brake and turn the rear wheels to check that the rear brakes are not dragging.

NOTE

For the 1999-00 Sebring Convertible manual adjustment of the parking brake is not required, due to the automatic adjustment feature used on this vehicle-s parking brake system. Proper adjustment of the parking brake on these vehicles depends on the rear drum brake shoes being adjusted properly. Use the following parking brake Adjustment procedure for all other vehicles:

A bent nail type park brake cable tension equalizer is used. The bent nail tension equalizer is to be used only one time to set the park brake cable tension. If the park brake cables require adjustment during the life of the vehicle, a NEW tension equalizer MUST be installed before doing the park cable adjustment procedure

Fig. Bent nail park brake cable tension equalizer

Remove the 3 screws attaching the rear of the center console.

Fig. Center console rear attaching screws

If vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission remove the shift knob from the shifter. The gear shift knob is attached to the shifter using a set screw. Access to the set screw is from the front of the shift knob and is removed using a 2mm Allen wrench.

Fig. Shift knob retaining screw

Fig. Gear shift knob removal

If the vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission remove the gearshift knob and shifter boot using the following procedure.

Push shifter boot down to expose clips on gearshift knob and roll pin on shifter handle.

Pry the clips on the shifter knob away from the roll pin in the shifter handle using a flat blade pry tool.

Fig. Gearshift knob

Remove the shifter knob from the shifter handle, by pulling the shifter knob straight up.

Fig. Gear shift knob removal

Remove the shifter boot from the center console. Shifter boot is removed by squeezing the bezel together at the base of the shifter boot and pulling upward on the boot.

Fig. Boot removal

Remove the 2 screws attaching the front of the center console to the gear selector or shifter.

Fig. Center console front attaching screws (automatic)

Fig. Center console front attaching screws (manual)

Raise the park brake hand lever to approximately the half way point or its travel. This will provide the required clearance to remove center console.

Remove the center console/arm rest from vehicle.

Lower park brake lever handle.

Loosen adjusting nut on park brake cable output cable. This will take tension off output cable, allowing it to be easily removed from tension equalizer.

WARNING

Discard output cable retaining clip after removing it from park brake cable tension equalizer. Retainer is not to be re-used, a new retainer is to be installed when attaching output cable to tension equalizer.

A new park brake lever output cable retainer must be used when installing output cable on cable tension equalizer. Cable retainer usage is required to ensure output cable can not separate from tension equalizer.

Install the a new park brake lever output cable to tension equalizer retaining clip on tension equalizer. The cable retainer must be closed and securely latched

Adjust cable tension for the parking brake system using the following steps.

Position park brake lever so it is in the fully released position.

On vehicles with REAR DRUM BRAKES, tighten the adjusting nut on the parking brake lever output cable until 12mm of thread is out past top edge of adjustment nut.

Fig. Parking brake adjustment (rear drum brakes)

On vehicles with REAR DISC BRAKES, tighten the adjusting nut on the parking brake lever output cable until 26mm of thread is out past top edge of adjustment nut.

Fig. Parking brake adjustment (rear disk brakes)

Actuate the parking brake lever to its fully applied position (22 clicks) 1 time and then reposition the lever to its fully released position.

NOTE

Actuating the parking brake lever to its fully applied position one time after tightening the adjustment nut will yield (stretch) the bent nail portion of the tension equalizer approximately
1
/
2
inch. This process will correctly set the parking brake cable tension

Check the rear wheels of the vehicle; they should rotate freely without dragging.

After the park brake cable tension has been properly adjusted, check for free play in park brake lever. Park brake hand lever should feel firm at all clicks, with a maximum of 21 clicks of lever travel possible.